Banking leaders recognised in Australia Day Honours List

The Governor-General Sam Mostyn AC has today (26 January) announced honours and awards for 949 Australians in the Australia Day Honours List 2026 - an increase of more than 200 awards compared with Australia Day last year.

They include recipients in the Order of Australia (General and Military Divisions), as well as meritorious awards and recognitions for distinguished and conspicuous service.

The Australia Day 2026 Honours List includes:

• 680 awards in the General Division of the Order of Australia (10 AC, 38 AO, 160 AM, and 472 OAM).

• 22 awards in the Military Division of the Order of Australia (10 AM and 12 OAM).

• 187 meritorious awards.

• 60 distinguished and conspicuous awards.

Mary Reemst, former managing director and CEO of Macquarie Bank, is among those recognised, having been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for “significant service to the banking sector, and to social welfare organisations”.

Reemst led Macquarie Bank between 2014 and 2021 and spent more than two decades with the group, including as global head of credit. Alongside her banking career, she has also contributed extensively to social welfare and public interest organisations, including as chair of The Hunger Project Australia and as a director of the Asylum Seekers Centre and the Sisters of Charity Foundation.

Maile Carnegie, who was group executive of Australian retail at ANZ Bank until July 2025, has also been recognised, being appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia for “significant service to corporate administration in senior executive roles, and to governance and advisory positions”.

Carnegie previously led ANZ’s digital banking and transformation functions and held senior executive roles as managing director for Australia and New Zealand at Google and in management at Procter & Gamble, alongside extensive service in governance and advisory roles across government, education, and cultural institutions.

Other members of the finance industry recognised include:

• Marcus William Elsum has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for “service to the finance sector, and to the community”. Elsum has held senior executive and advisory roles across funds management and capital markets, including leadership positions at Challenger Financial Services Group, Equitable Australia, and UBS Australia. He has also made a sustained contribution to community and youth organisations, most notably through his longstanding involvement with the Australian Youth Orchestra, where he served as a board member for nine years, including as treasurer and company secretary, and with the Willoughby Wildcats AFL Club as a coach, treasurer, and team manager.

• Stephen Mark Day has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for “service to charitable organisations, and to the finance sector”. Day has held a range of senior governance and advisory roles across the financial services and public sectors, including as a long-serving member of the South Australian Government Financing Authority’s advisory board between 2012 and 2025. His career also includes board and committee positions with People’s Choice Credit Union, the Electricity Industry Superannuation Scheme, and the Finance and Treasury Association, alongside extensive involvement in community organisations such as The Reily Foundation and SuperCycle.

• Melanie Victoria Rose Willis has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for “significant service to the finance, banking, and insurance sectors”. Willis is a non-executive director of PEXA Group, the digital property settlements platform, where she has chaired the audit and risk committee since 2021, and has held senior board and governance roles across Australia’s financial services landscape, including at Challenger Limited, QBE Insurance Australia Pacific, and PayPal Australia. Her career also includes CEO roles in investments, senior executive positions in global banking, and sustained leadership in advancing governance, risk management, and professional standards across finance, insurance, and listed entities.

• Tammie Michelle Pribanic has been awarded the Public Service Medal (PSM) for outstanding public service through sustained leadership and reform in the South Australian Department of Treasury and Finance. Pribanic has spent more than three decades in the South Australian public service, holding senior roles within treasury and finance since 1993, including as under treasurer. She began her career at the South Australian Government Financing Authority, managing financial transactions across interest rate, currency, and derivative markets, before leading major commercial projects, overseeing significant asset sales, and managing the transition of the state’s banking services to a commercial provider.

• Joann Wilkie has been awarded the Public Service Medal (PSM) for “outstanding public service to fiscal management in NSW, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic”. Wilkie is deputy secretary of Economic Strategy and Productivity at NSW Treasury and the principal source of economic advice to the Treasurer and the Expenditure Review Committee of cabinet. She played a critical role in the state’s economic and fiscal response during the pandemic, delivering policy advice that supported employment, business continuity, and the effective management of public finances during a period of significant economic shock.

Recipients will attend investiture ceremonies at Government House in their respective state or territory in the coming months to receive the insignia of their award.

Announcing the list, the Governor-General said: “On my second Australia Day as your Governor-General, I am delighted to announce the Australia Day 2026 Honours List.

“Throughout 2025, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Australian honours system and the people who for the past half century have epitomised the best of Australia.

“The qualities and accomplishments of this year’s honourees reflect Australia’s values for service, community, kindness, curiosity, tenacity, and care.

“Congratulations to everyone recognised in the Australia Day 2026 Honours List. As the list so vividly showcases, so many Australians continue to give the best of themselves across many endeavours, in the interest of others.

“It is rewarding to see an increase in the number of awards, which reflects more nominations and recognition of the many Australians who inspire the best in all of us.”

Six months ago, former CEO of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, Marnie Baker, was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia, alongside Kathryn Fagg AO, a non-executive director (NED) at National Australia Bank (NAB).

[Related: Alexis George to step down as AMP CEO, new CEO appointed]